CoLu Week 2017
by x0xCherryBlossomx0x
Summary: Eight days filled with fluff, snark, and a little something more. Nothing is tame when Cobra is in the mix! I present to you, my submission for CoLu week!
1. Blossom

Hey guys! I know you all are waiting for the last chapter of NWWE, and i promise it is coming! But i saw that CoLu week was upon us and i have fallen in love with this pairing and wanted to try my hand. I've never written Cobra before so hopefully it isn't awful! Please leave me some feedback and some love! This will start out a little shorter but hopefully as i get in to the lull of writing this pairing i can make the chapters a little longer for you!

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 **Blossom**

The guild was in an uproar. Master had just given the news and there was a mix of reactions among the mages. The most noticeable was of course Erza who was trying to be outraged but was actually ecstatic. Then there were the dragon slayers who actually were outraged. The response the master really paid attention to was the youthful blonde. If anyone had any right to be upset it would be her. He wished he could tell how she felt but her face was blank.

Lucy herself felt a little numb. She could feel her fight or flight instincts, begging her to flee. Her heart was banging in her chest and her muscles were tense. Lucy had many friends who had made mistakes, many of those mistakes were made against her and ones she loved. Many of which were the people she was closest to now.

But there were a few faces that just struck terror within her. Many of which were to join her family and fight beside her. She tried to remember that they had done good deeds. Had helped with the dragons and had been fighting against dark guilds. They had been cleared of their crimes, but she remembered.

Lucy pasted a bright smile on for Erza and her friends then turned and walked out of the guild.

There were a few people who noticed her leave, and her best friend in a rare moment of maturity took off after her.

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Cobra sneered as they walked through the too cheerful town, truthfully this is what he wanted, freedom, not having to run constantly and a place to settle down. He could hear how relieved his friends felt, the excitement and the the anticipation of how the guild would react. This guild were people that all of them had tortured and put through hell. He was not expecting them to welcome the group with open arms.

They were walking past the park when her heard it. This soul seemed to ring out louder then the others, high tinkling bells and fluttering flutes. He could almost taste the panic. He grinned, although he didn't try to kill people anymore he still took pleasure in their fear and panic. He scanned the area and his eye lit on a blonde, leaning against a tree that had cherry blossoms, littering the ground around her with fallen petals.

Most males would take note of her body, which was nothing to scoff at, or even her face with her chocolate brown eyes and soft features. The thing that caught Cobras attention however was the sound of her soul. It sounded familiar but he couldn't place where he may have heard it before. He hadn't realized he had paused to stare until one of the group had bounced up to his shoulder. "Oh Cobra found Lucy!"

The name sounded familiar and he heard the trepidation in many of his groups minds, all for various reasons. Angel edged backwards and her soul took very sad notes of regret and longing. Midnight seemed to wake up and the name seemed to resonate with him. He took a step toward the girl and faltered. Many of the group looked toward him, checking to see if he had a reaction. He wasn't sure why he should have a reaction, or who this girl was.

When she caught sight of the group who had all but paused in the street to stare at her, her heart rate picked up. She seemed happy to see Jellal and Meredy however when her eyes shifted to him, standing next to the pink haired girl and the rest of his friends at his shoulder, her muscles tightened and her soul cried out.

Cobra felt the need to hear that sound again, her soul was captivating, especially when strumming in fear. He caught the sounds of her plan to run and that just couldn't happen, not before he could hear her soul some more. He stalked forward and saw her freeze in her spot against the tree. He lent his forearm on the tree next to her and leaned in to her personal space.

His hand snaked forward and snatched a petal falling next to her face. He grinned menacingly "Well hello, blossom." He tapped the blossom petal against her nose. The girl seemed to be speechless and trembled among the falling petals. He could hear their "fearless leader" silently calling for him, and ignored it.

With a sickening grin he leaned in closer, his voice dropping. "Your fear sounds lovely. I couldn't help but come over and introduce myself." He could see the confusion clear in her eyes. "The name is Cobra, don't worry, I'm sure you will see me around." He could hear the warning notes in his leaders soul.

"Well it was lovely to meet you, sorry to cut this short, but places to be, people to torment." The change in her demeanor was immediate. The trembling fearful young girl was nowhere to be found. Now her limbs shook with pure rage and anger. The chime of her voice closely resembled her soul and his eye widened in surprise.

"How dare you." Lucy tried to control the trembling in her voice, she was scared she would cry of frustration. She had been so sure that she would be terrified, and she had been. Until this asshole didn't know who she was. This asshole who had attacked her family twice, had actually come face to face with her and shoved her in a clock.

He must have been able to hear their interactions while he taunted her, was sure he was taunting her because he knew who she was. She knew what he could do, and she hoped he was listening as she poured all of her hate in to the memories of what he and his group had done. Lucy was known as a forgiving person, but the wounds had never closed and she wasn't ready to let them.

She watched the recognition slowly filter in to his eye. A sick amount of pleasure coursed through her at the shame she saw in his expression, this man who was normally so composed. She hoped he regretted everything he had done. She didn't realize that her hand had lifted until she felt the sharp sting on her palm and watched his face fling to the side.

She didn't know if he let her, was too stunned to move or just didn't hear her intent, because she hadn't intended to do it.

Before Cobra knew it, the roles were reversed and he was speechless while she was smug. "Welcome to the family." The words were sneered out and she shoved past him. He stood there, under the fall of the cherry blossoms and couldn't help but watch her hips sway and the confidence she seemed to regain from the interaction. Gone was the girl trembling in fear and there in front of him, was the light of the fairies.

She paused as she came upon the remaining group, watching with awe. Midnight surprisingly was the first to step forward, his head bowed in shame. "Lucy." Lucy shook her head and placed a hand on his shoulder, she could see the recognition in his eyes. "We are so sorry. What we did was wrong, especially to you." Another voice piped in, "And your spirits." The voice was hushed as Sorano tried to hide behind her friend.

Lucy's demeanor softened. "Thank you. I appreciate it." She smiled a bit at Jellal and hugged Meredy then was on her way.

Cobra stood stock still, not understanding how his friends were met with the polite soft spoken girl and he got a slap to the face. He heard a different pinkett approach and glanced at the other slayer. "Luce is big on respect. If you make an effort to apologize, and actually mean it, she'll forgive you." He turned to him, his hands in his pocket and his eyes taking in the large hand print on his face.

"You disrespected her, with the way you spoke to her and that you didn't remember who she was, what you did to her." He shook his head and whistled. "You are going to have to try really hard to make it up to her if you want to fit in." He clapped Cobra on the shoulder, ignoring the way her recoiled, then took off after his best friend shouting her name as he ran to catch up.

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Well there is chapter one! This is rated M for future chapters and the next chapter is Pool! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and i hope it was decent!


	2. Pool

Okay here is the second installment! I want to thank everyone who reviewed, followed, and liked the story! The support means so much! Hopefully this chapter draws you a little more in to the relationship, please let me know what you think!

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 **Chapter 2: Pool**

So many voices ringing through his skull, all thinking and singing different things than what was coming from their mouths. All the secrets and the unsaid gossip. All the relationships. He knew all of it, not that he asked or wanted to know. Most people try to hide their thoughts, especially from themselves. This guild though was full of the most open people he had ever met. They may not tell each other everything but god damn could they broadcast their thoughts and feelings!

The one person he found hard to read, of course was the one he wanted to know about the most. It isn't that she has secrets or that he couldn't hear her. It's quite the opposite, she says exactly what she thinks and feels, often when she thinks and feels it. It is easy to tell that she would be bad at hiding secrets, but then there are moments. Moments when she thinks no one is watching her, and there is this pit of darkness.

These thoughts and feelings he wants so badly to be privy to. They float just behind her eyes and he just can't seem to figure them out. They reflect his own thoughts, his memories. But he doesn't want to believe she has had experiences as dark and scarring as he has had.

After spending months in the guild, listening to these people, watching these people. He is ashamed, not for what he did in the past, but for forgetting who he did it too. His mistakes shape him and his friends. Without them he wouldn't be the same person he is now, wouldn't be in the same place. He had to go through a lot, but it brought him here. To these people who didn't understand but forgave and opened their arms. To this girl who shines like a beacon and gets under his skin with just a smile and a peppy good morning.

People watching was his favorite thing to do. The drama, the relationships and the flirting, it amused him, something so simple that he never got to do. People he could actually get invested in who he didn't need to run from. Not that he often joined in the merriment and not that they knew anything about him.

But he was invested in these peoples lives none the less.

He watched as Laxus grew in to his coming role as master, watched Freed try to hide the engagement ring from his demon girlfriend, Marveled at the fact that the Dragons were like a pack and were willing to allow him among their ranks. Cobra was certain that his group with the others would be his only family. The slayers though were quickly becoming a second family.

The one he most enjoyed watching, and he loathed to admit it, was the gorgeous blonde that had the audacity to slap him across the face. He didn't blame her and he would freely admit to the fact that her fire and the sway of her hips as she stormed away may have given him an erection.

She caught his attention as soon as she walked in the room, and he was annoyed by the fact that people had noticed. They didn't talk often but sometimes, if he caught her attention she would go on a silent diatribe, they would have silent conversations and she would glance back for his reaction if she thought something funny or snarky. He often found himself hiding little grins and rolling his eyes.

One day when he was sitting at the bar, listening to her slew of really terrible jokes and trying not to laugh, Kina had a waved a hand in front of his face. It had startled him and he had almost jerked off his stool. "What?" He growled, glaring at his treasured friend. "You cut off in the middle of a sentence about twenty minutes ago. You also look like your having a stroke." Cobra felt his cheeks burn slightly and Lucy must have caught the comment cause he could hear the tinkling laughter in her soul.

Today he knew would be hell. The entire guild in one place was bad enough, and headache inducing. There were also people all around them stripping off their clothes, while he kept his firmly on his body. The worst though had not yet happened. He was dreading her arrival, not that he didn't want to see her, but he didn't think he could pair, the sound of her soul, her snarky thoughts and so much porcelain skin on display.

He caught a murmur from inside the guild hall and slunk further in to the shadows behind him. He watched as she finally made her way through the hall and out to the pool. Long golden hair, sparkling chocolate eyes, a blinding smile and more skin than should be legal.

The next thing he noticed when he could finally take his eye off her was the reaction of the people around her. She was friends with everyone and she lit up the people around her. By her side was the idiot with pink hair and his little blue cat. The flaming idiot took off like a shot to the pool, the blue cat flying behind and yelling taunts.

The blonde just rolled her eyes then smiled brightly at the short girl waving her over to the corner with the grouchy iron slayer. She bounced over and got an enthusiastic hug, then a tight but slightly reluctant hug. She made her way, garnering attention from everyone.

Cobra pouted when he watched the drunk smack her ass. Lucy batted her hand away and rolled her eyes as the brunette woman snickered. As she made her way around, socializing in her white bikini, he watched as eyes lit up and souls sang. The cacophony of souls slowly evened out as the people she came in contact with seemed to harmonize with her soul.

This was a normal occurrence in souls of people who were close, but he had never heard it to this extent. It was normally something he heard in people who were in love, best friends or close family. Their souls would harmonize. But the effect that Lucy had was so strange. The souls were all independent, all different but when she was in the vicinity, they almost melded. He couldn't tell if their souls were changing to meld with hers or if her soul fluctuated to match those around her.

Either way it left the person in her presence brighter, not only while the spoke but after she left, the light remained. He listened as she giggled and as many men flirted with her. This made him grumble, but he knew they didn't mean any harm and she had no interest. That was something that shocked him after months of being in the guild, everyone was down right lewd, including the perky blonde. But while everyone seemed to be sleeping with someone, sometimes multiple someones, the little blonde was innocent.

Oh the things he could do to taint that innocence. The thought had him slinking further back in to the shadows. He heard a snort to his left and tore his eyes away from the blonde to look at his best friend. "What?" A sly smirk and a shake of black and white hair were his response. He didn't need the verbal cues to hear the teasing thoughts. He flippantly shot his friend the finger and went back to his favorite past time of blonde watching.

Cobra had finally settled himself down in a chair in the sun. He didn't have to worry about leaving a lobster since his skin was tanned, unlike his pale friend. He had his eyes closed and had been relaxed in to a pile of goo under the sun when he heard her. She was making her way over and his senses were quickly over whelmed. Her scent, the sound of her soul, the feel of her soft skin as she sat on the bottom half of his lounger, shoving his legs over to make some space.

"You remind me of a snake under a heat lamp." He couldn't help but grin, his eye siding open to peer at her small smile. He hissed in response and heard her try to cover a snort with a cough. He stretched his arms up then placed his hands behind his head. He knew she was enjoying the view and he couldn't help but preen slightly. They talked often, although silently, after that disaster of a meeting in the park and she seemed to have forgiven him.

She was after all the only person in the guild, including his best friend that he wasn't overly rude to. "You could come join me in the water you know, it's not like your going to melt." Cobra closed his eye and knocked her side gently with his outstretched calf. "Not going to happen Sunshine." Lucy grimaced, "That's a new one." "M hmm." "Not going to tell me where it came from are you?"

He grinned at her, he would have to be very drunk to ever admit any of his nicknames to her, especially this one. Considering alcohol had no affect on him, it was never going to happen. He would keep his little beam of light all to himself thanks.

The two continued their conversation for a wile longer, seeming to be perfectly content and comfortable in each others presence. Cobra frowned at the train of thought that he could hear, literally barreling toward them. He almost wanted to grab Lucy and pull her against his chest, snarl at the pink haired menace who had come to collect her.

However since he was not ready to lay a claim to the blonde he just watched, disgruntled as she was lifted in to another slayers arms and abruptly thrown in to the pool. She shrieked before she went under and by the time she had resurfaced, Natsu had cannon balled his way in to the pool, taking her out with the resulting wave.

Cobra resigned himself to watching the girl again, her white bikini sticking to her ivory skin, her hair loose and wet around her shoulders. He may have to shuffle this chair out of the sun and back in to the shadows, was his thought as he shifted and adjusted himself.

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Please leave a review, hopefully you enjoy this chapter! Tomorrows chapter is Endearments!


	3. Endearments

Here is chapter three! To be honest this one is one of my favorites but i also think it might get confusing from all the jumping around, let me know if this chapter is okay, please!

I absolutely have been forgetting a disclaimer so i will go back after this is complete and update the first two chapter, but just so you know, I own nothing!

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 **Chapter 3: Endearment August 8**

Out of all the possible pairings Mira had to admit that Cobra and Lucy were quickly becoming her favorite. That is after herself and her lover. Mira prided herself on knowing who was meant for who. But Lucy she could never figure out. Of course she had pegged Lucy and Natsu as a couple but that had been made clear that they were nothing more than friends, especially after her sister came back. She had also toyed with the idea of Lucy and Gray but they were more like siblings. Even Juvia had stopped referring to the blonde as love rival.

For a while she had fancied the idea of Lucy and Laxus, they had a rough start but they were becoming fast friends, he even flirted with her and had stopped sleeping with all the other women. But they just seemed to have an odd friendship, Laxus was much more intent on being master.

Mira took note of all the people Lucy interacted with and the effect she had on them, as she paid attention to all the people who brightened after talking to Lucy she couldn't help but notice that although she was happy none of those people made Lucy brighten in the same way.

Not until Cobra. It had been a long time since he had joined the guild now and although at first the two seemed discordant, now they were thick as thieves. She giggled to herself just a little. After watching the two of them for months, she was anticipating the time they would finally get together. He made her light up like none of the others did, and she seemed to smooth his rough edges.

As Mira took care of drinks, her two favorite people walked in to the guild. They rarely spoke out loud, Cobra heard her soul, her thoughts and it was almost like Lucy could read his thoughts with the way she read his expression and body language. As they walked in today Lucy had a bright grin on her face and Cobra had a small smirk. Lucy was walking backwards, gesturing wildly.

She watched Cobra laugh and shake his head. The two glanced over when they heard someone call Lucy's name. Lucy glanced uncertainly towards Cobra, who smiled gently and ruffled her hair. "Run along Bella. I'll be getting a drink." Lucy nodded and hesitated before grinning largely and skipping off to the table with her team.

Mira almost squealed at the use of the nickname. She had figured it out quickly. There were some of the nicknames he had for her that she was still trying to figure out, he had many nicknames. But that one was her favorite and as he walked over she was reminded why. She had been working as she watched and as he sat at the bar, she placed a purple drink in front of him.

"One belladonna milkshake!" He smiled at her "Thanks Mira, you know it's my favorite." Mira giggled "I sure do!" That is exactly how she had figured it out. After he ordered it all the time and she asked him why he didn't want anything else, he had told her, 'why bother it's my favorite, so if you have it I'm going to drink it.' After seeing how he acted around Lucy she had gathered that she was his favorite. Suddenly the name was much sweeter.

Out of all the nicknames, that was absolutely her favorite. She saw Cobra roll his eyes and clearly listening to her fan girl in her mind. He didn't usually listen to her, he said it was something to do with too many souls crammed in to one body. But clearly he heard her now. Mira decided while he was listening it would be a good time to go on a mental trip down memory lane of their nicknames.

The first time nickname she thought back to was Sugar, it seemed to be one of Lucy's least favorites for awhile. She would roll her eyes at the name for weeks. Cobra had sidled up to her one day shooting out a 'Morning Sugar' And when Lucy had rolled her eyes at the common endearment Cobra had frowned, took his drink and slunk away.

Lucy shrugged her shoulders and the small blue haired slayer who was sitting with her sighed.

"Why don't you like the name?" Lucy pouted and wiped away some condensation. "The name just seems so general. He always has personal nicknames for the people he tolerates. The fact that his nickname for me is just so.." She trailed off and shrugged.

Mira wanted to pat the girl on the head until she heard Wendy laugh and smile. "Lucy he calls you that for a reason!" Lucy raised an eyebrow, "How do you know?" Wendy leaned closer and made a show of sniffing her. Lucy watched the girl with a strange look on her face. Wendy bounced happily. "You smell like almonds and sugar! It smells delicious! Hasn't anyone ever told you?"

Mira looked at Lucy to see her face a nice tomato red. The two females laughed at the blonde and the next time Cobra called Lucy, 'Sugar' she had blushed and stammered through the next half an hour of their interaction.

Mira glanced over at Cobra after remembering that nickname and saw the look on his face was clearly embarrassed. She had much worse then that!

Another food related endearment that Cobra had given her had been pop tart. That one hadn't lasted long, although still popped up every once in a while. That was rather obvious as Lucy often would rush out of her apartment with a pop tart hanging from her mouth. It was a daily occurrence that Mira only really knew about because Natsu had made fun of her for it in the early days of their friendship.

Cobra however had not been part of the guild when the habit had started and clearly this eluded to the fact that Cobra had seen her run out of her apartment early in the morning. Many people who knew of the habit had begun to wonder and bet on the reason that Cobra was at her apartment early. Cobra seemed to be amused by the rumors and had let them run, not once saying anything to deny it.

Not until Lucy found out, the rumors had been put to rest with a very embarrassed statement that it was not what everyone thought. They never found out why he knew about the pop tart and the pop tarts were gone by the time she got to the guild for her milkshake.

Cobra seemed smug at that one, for a while he was the talk of the guild, everyone thinking he had spent the night with the busty blonde. Mira had the thought of "He wishes!" Which Cobra responded to with a snort and a shrug, something along the lines of 'do you blame me?'

Mira moved on to the next nickname. This had surfaced several months ago, just after the pool party and no one but Lucy questioned him about the name. 'Sunshine' just made sense when they thought of the girl and the brightness she carried. She had already garnered the name 'the light of the fairies' and 'Sunshine' just seemed to fit. Out of all of his endearments this one was the one that made the most sense!

There was one name that none of them really liked to mention. I was the nickname that he used before they were close. There were very few people if any that he called by their actual name. So at first he called her 'Blossom' the name itself was not rude like many of his names were. However it was a reminder of their re connection. The slight he had paid her by not remembering her.

Cobra had been frustrated and upset when she finally explained why she was upset every time he called her that. He hadn't seemed to be able to figure it out. Which only made him more frustrated, then after he figured it out he was chastened. She had smiled gently and forgiven him for the unintended slight.

That nickname was very rarely used, unless they were arguing and he felt like shooting a low blow. Normally when that happened, the kicked puppy look he received often encouraged a sullen "Sorry Bella."

The quick rap on the bar and the sharp look she received was warning that she better be moving on if she demanded to drag him down this little fan girl thought trail. That brought her to the often used endearment 'Nerd' this was not his most creative name, but it made her internally squeal when the two were curled up in the corner of the guild together, her head on his shoulder and her attention squarely focused on her latest novel. Cobra seemed to be content doing nothing in these instances. But Mira noticed his reaction when she got in to the book. She would tense up or angrily flip pages, or there were the times when she would whimper and look up at him with tears in her eyes. These were the times when he would smile gently and call her a nerd.

This happened more often now, the two of them sitting together in the guild, often curled up. As far as anyone could tell they were not dating, but Lucy spent more and more time with the grouchy slayer and her team seemed to be okay with it.

Mira figured it was only a matter of time until they finally announced they were together. She knew it was what Lucy wanted and every one could see clearly Cobra wanted it as well.

She aimed a glance at the slayer with a raised eyebrow, a silent 'well what are you waiting for?' and the maroon haired male subtly flipped her the bird.

She shook her head and went back to cleaning glasses. She silently called out to the man at the bar, "Go get your favorite girl, snake boy." He huffed, finished his drink and stood from the bar, heading toward the doors. "Bella, you coming?" The blonde nodded, said goodbye to her friends and skipped over to the slayer. With his hand placed gently on her lower back and her bright smile up at him, the two walked out.

Mira squealed out loud this time and the guild collectively laughed, as hearts occupied her eyes. "Oh the babies!"

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Okay that was chapter three! Please let me know what you think! The next prompt is Hollow.


	4. Hollow

Hey guys, here is chapter 4! I appreciate all the reviews and kind words. I am so glad that everyone seems to like the direction i am taking this story. This chapter was almost hard for me to write because it was very personal but at the same time it flowed out like it was something i needed to write.

This is going to be a little sad. I'm hoping i wrote it right to get the right feeling.

I will explain a bit more at the bottom and who knows if anyone even reads these little blurbs!

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

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 **Chapter 4: Hollow**

Lucy hadn't shown up to the guild in three days. He had tried knocking on her door and gotten no response. He would have assumed at first that she was on a job. But she usually told him when she was leaving and the rest of her team was still there.

He figured it was time to suck it up and try going to her house. He had shown up on her door step like a normal human being, he had learned quickly that she appreciated her privacy and that the pink haired fool didn't really get away with climbing through her window, but did it despite the consequences.

He knocked and listened, heard her shuffle around inside, but there was something missing. There was a distinct absence of the sound of her soul. Instead of tinkling bells there was just a constant low thrum. Enough to know she was alive and awake. It felt wrong, too much like the pain in his own soul.

The thought made him back up slowly, he didn't think they were close enough for him to barge in and comfort her. He also didn't know how to comfort someone, she was the only one he had ever wanted to comfort.

Eric made his way back to the guild, intent on trying to get someone over to her house who could pull her out if this self imposed funk. That seemed to make sore sense to him, he didn't care about taking more of a behind the scenes role, as long as her soul chimed again he would be happy.

The trip back to the chattering guild was quick. He did a thorough scan and quickly picked up the soul he was looking for. The one he figured would be the most likely to get in to her apartment and get her out.

The sound wasn't hard to follow, it was a roaring blaze that never seemed to dim. Even when the boy was calm his soul blazed and he could hear the sound of the flames flickering.

He pulled up a seat next to the pink haired boy and as much as he did not want to, he dropped in to it. They sat there for a good five minutes, Cobra getting more agitated the longer they sat. Finally Natsu sighed and acknowledged the man drilling a silent hole through his head.

"She's not coming in today." Cobra growled lowly. "Ya i got that." Onyx eyes turned to the maroon haired man, "Try again tomorrow." The man narrowed his single eye. "Something is wrong with her. You need to fix it." Natsu rolled his eyes and turned back to the plate of food in front of him. "Luce will be fine."

The maroon haired man could not understand, he heard the love and concern the pinkette had for his best friend, but he also heard that Natsu had dropped by the apartment and had done nothing to even try and enter it, when he realized what state the blonde was in. "What the hell kind of friend are you?" He sneered.

Cobra witness the onyx eyes turn as hard as flint and his hands clenched. "Don't try to call my friendship in to question, like i don't care." Cobra shook his head slowly, "You didn't hear the pain in her soul." Natsus' eyes dropped to the table. "I know." The fight seemed to drain out of him. "She does this.. Sometimes, she just falls in to this funk, i can never pin point when it's coming. I use to be able to get her out of it, she would mope and lock herself up for a day or two. Then i would drag her on a job.." Cobra listened intently.

"After everything that has happened, they last longer.. Are more often. It's like there is this hole in her heart, i use to be enough but there is only so much a best friend can do. Sometimes she just needs to be by herself," this time Natsu stared him down, unflinchingly. "There is only so much light she can give, she never thinks to save any for herself. I'm scared one of these days she is going to burn out, and all that will be left is a hollow shell. Maybe she needs something more now. Something she can't get from me or the others."

With that said the pinkette turned back to his meal and Cobra was left reeling. He was certain if anyone would be helpful it would be her best friend. Fine he would just get someone else to help. He turned to the man across the table, he of course had been listening and his face was drawn.

Cobra raised an eyebrow at him. This mans soul was the opposite of his team mates. Instead of roaring flames it was the crashing of an ice storm. While Natsu was minutes away from being fired up, Gray always had ice at his finger tips.

With a shake of his head gray dropped his eyes to the table. Cobra was quickly getting angry, why would none of these people help their friend? He could hear in their souls that they hated these slumps the blonde went in to. Could hear that they had tried over and over in previous occurrences to get her out of this.

He looked around the room and spotted a petite bluenette that clearly didn't mean to meet his eyes. He hadn't had too much interaction with her and her grumpy bodyguard, but knew that both of them were quite close to the blonde. As he made his way closer he heard just a bit of panic, like the whispering pages in a book that is being quickly flipped through. As though she is trying to flip through the library in her soul for instruction on how to handle yet another grumpy slayer.

He heard the watchful eye her own slayer kept, his soul was very protective as well, he clearly felt that he still needed forgiveness from the two small women he had wronged the most. The man made it clear that he cared deeply for both girls, however the guild was aware that the bluenette held a special place in the iron slayers heart.

He made his way swiftly over to the two in the corner. The apprehension in the air made him uncomfortable. "So are you two going to help her?" Levy frowned and gently placed a hand on his arm. "We've tried Cobra, believe me we tried." This was getting him nowhere.

He growled, ignoring the frown from the other slayer. Fine he would do it himself. He would not leave her alone to deal with this on her own. He made his way to her house again. Stopped at her door and listened.

The sadness and darkness just didn't feel right. Which really made Cobra uncomfortable. He use to take pleasure in peoples pain and despair. In fact he knew is still stroked him the right way. He also knew why he didn't want her to feel it, he was hesitant to admit it at first. Now he didn't care who knew, which clearly the entire guild knew how he felt. He was in love with this woman and he wanted her to be happy, wanted her to be safe.

He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Listened to her laying in bed and heard her soul hope that if she ignored it, whoever was at the door would go away. He frowned and tried to figure out how he could get in to the apartment. With a sigh he made his way to the dreaded window.

Finally dropping down in to the bedroom he scanned the room and saw her wrapped up in the blankets like a burrito. He smiled gently and carefully crawled in to the bed behind her, he wrapped his arms around her, blankets and all then whispered her name. He felt her tense and although he had been ready to come in here, guns rearing and planning to get her to leave the apartment, that had quickly changed.

As soon as he had seen her curled up and heard her soul, his heart had softened and he could hear that she just needed some time and she needed someone to understand that this would pass. That forcing her to be around people would not benefit her.

Cobra stayed there all day, bringing her food when he knew she wouldn't leave her bed. He also made her a bath and coaxed her in to it, laying out the fluffiest pajamas he could find in her wardrobe. After her bath he brushed through her hair and the two cuddled in bed.

Cobra had a million questions he wanted to ask the girl but didn't know if she would answer. He heard her sigh and she placed a small kiss on his shoulder where her head rested. He could hear the gratitude singing in her soul and decided the questions could wait until the net day.

The two fell asleep curled up together and Cobra was probably the happiest he had ever been, surrounded by her scent.

When Lucy woke, it was to the smell of something amazing. She slowly shuffled out of bed and toward the kitchen. There was Cobra making of all things, pancakes with strawberries on top. A small smile found it's way to her face. The first in days.

She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle, resting her head against his back. "You are amazing." She felt him shrug, "Yeah i am." She giggled at the pure cockiness and let go when he placed the last of the pancakes on the plates.

They ate in relative silence, Cobra grinning at the small happy noises that were leaking form the blonde. "How are you feeling?" He watched as she sighed and almost expected her to close up. She seemed to be debating it in her soul then as she opened her mouth, her eyes began to tear up. "It's hard to explain."

Cobra stood rather abruptly, ignoring her flinch at the sudden movement, he gently took her hand and pulled her up from her chair, leading her to the couch. He sat, pulled her down next to him then pulled her in to his side. "It's okay. You don't have to say it, but just now i am always listening." The blonde understood what he meant and he heard the ring of gratefulness.

They sat in silence for another hour or two before Cobra felt the mental prod. He raised an eyebrow and glanced down at the blonde, leaning against him. He tightened his arm around her, letting her know she could continue.

Cobra sat and listened to how normally she was happy but that sometimes she felt like she was wearing a mask. Sometimes it was just too difficult to get out of bed and she didn't have a reason. Lots of things had happened to her but it wasn't what contributed to these periods.

She also mentally explained that this happened more often then she let on, that she would spend hours sometimes, wrapped in her own apartment. Sometimes she cried, sometimes she just felt empty. The thoughts and feelings that spilled from her soul saddened him and all he could do was pull her closer.

Lucy seemed to revel in the contact she hadn't found a way to explain that she didn't want to be alone but didn't want to be near people. Didn't have the energy to try and have a conversation, to try to smile and be what they wanted, the normal talkative Lucy. She just wanted someone to be in the same space, to hold her close and not require anything from her.

She wanted someone that she could just relax and be sad and not have them try to get her to talk about why she was sad. Cobra pulled her head close, tucking her face against his neck. He felt her shake as silent tears streamed down her face. He didn't say a word, just held her as close as he could.

The two stayed tucked together for the majority of the day, mostly in silence. Sometimes she would cry and sometimes he would fetch her a book and read over her shoulder while she lay against him. Finally it was late, the stars and moon casting a light glow through her window. He wondered if he should stay.

He was just debating whether he should get up and go home for the night when Lucy spoke out loud for the first time in hours. "Thank you. You didn't have to stay, but I'm so glad you did. It made things so much better than normal."

Cobra shifted so he could study her face then dropped his forehead to hers. "Bella i am happy to do this. Always, anytime you need it. I hate the thought of you trying to bare it on your own so if you need someone to just stay with you. You can always call out to me. I will hear your soul and i will be here as soon as I possibly can. You never have to pretend or be anything other than what you are willing to give me. I will be happy with what I can get."

He lifted a hand and gently wiped away her tears. He heard the question in her soul seconds before she leaned up and kissed him. It was slightly wet, a little salty, but it was perfect. It was what he was waiting for, months of being by her side and offering her whatever she needed, not asking for more than she was willing to give.

Lucy pulled back slightly, their breath mingling in the space between. This time when their lips joined it was hard to say who initiated it but they didn't care, that low thrum in Lucy's soul had small bells tinkling along with it.

This wasn't something a kiss could magically cure, this was something Lucy would struggle with for the rest of her life. But with this kiss Cobra promised himself and her that he would be there to help her weather the storm. A shoulder to lean on and a safe place to be whatever she needed to be.

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So if anyone has read my other story i have mentioned here and there that it is taking so long to write because sometimes i just can't bring myself to do it. I have really bad depression. I'm not suicidal however the type of depressive states i fall in to can be almost as destructive. It affects my appetite, my mood, my body. I get tired and detached and it can affect my job when i can't pull myself out of bed.

This prompt really spoke to me because hollow is the perfect word to use. And the reason i had Lucy affected like this is to help show that it can affect everyone. It disrupts your life and your feelings and even if you are a happy person, sometimes it feels like a mask and like it is too hard to handle. Sometimes all you need is a safe space. I may have taken a few liberties with this chapter but i feel like that is what fanfiction is for, to be a release for the writer and hopefully an escape for whoever may be reading it and feeling the same. A way to send a message that there are people that understand and it is okay sometimes to take some time to yourself.

So let me know if you liked the chapter and what you thought!


	5. Serpent

First off i really want to thank everyone who reads this story but especially for the kind words from the last chapter. It means a lot and i am hoping this chapter keeps you guys happy!

Warning! This chapter is very much why this story is rated M! Yes i went there, couldn't help it! Hopefully it isn't too cliche!

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing about the Fairy Tail world!**

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 **Chapter 5: Serpent**

For weeks Cobra had been riling her up. He was doing it on purpose too! She knew it and she was plotting a sure fire way to make her boyfriend cave. They had been intimate plenty of times. She had gone to Porlyusica and gotten a contraceptive long ago.

The first time Lucy had given herself to her slayer had been about a month after he had stayed with her and helped her out of her depressive slump. He made it clear to her that he would be around anytime she needed him and they had finally admitted to each other what everyone else already knew.

The two were already head over heels for each other, despite their rocky past and Cobra had made up for it ten times over. Not even with just the way he treated her but how he treated her friends and family with respect as well. Their first time had been everything a girl dreamed of when losing their virginity.

He had been slow, patient, attentive. Lucy remembered having the thought that she was surprised, that she had expected him to be a rough lover and was astounded but slightly disappointed at his gentle touch. Cobra had chuckled deeply in her ear. "Don't get too use to it Sunshine."

That hadn't been a joke, after their first time, they had been together many times since, in many positions and in many places. The thought of it made Lucy blush. Her lover was voracious, recently however there had not been nearly enough of his touch.

Here and there, a small teasing caress. A low rumble in her ear and he would press himself against her in public, when he knew she wouldn't dare retaliate. She had not been completely without and she knew he gave her just enough to keep her wanting more.

Well she had a plan. One she had to be very careful about, having a boyfriend who could read every little inflection in your soul, your emotions and thoughts, was not easy to keep secrets from. Lucy also was not the best at keeping secrets, but this one she had a vested interest in.

It was nearing the six month mark in their relationship and although they were not planning to celebrate or get each other gifts, Lucy had planned a nice dinner. She had also planned a little something extra, not that Cobra was aware of it.

Lucy had enlisted the assistance of her two best female friends to find the perfect outfit. Levy and Erza had really come through and as Lucy dressed after cooking dinner she couldn't stop the blush from rising to her face.

She examined herself in the mirror, she knew she was sexy, she also knew her boyfriend would love it. She twisted and twirled, enjoying the way the sheer fabric sparkled. With a nod she smiled and winked at herself in the mirror then turned to finish the last touches of dinner.

She assumed that as soon as he walked in the door she would finally be ravished. But they would still need dinner for after. She had prepared it special with ingredients she had learned to keep safely in her house. She had a small chest that she kept his herbs and poisons in.

She had designated utensils and plates that were too dangerous to use after he had. She dished up the portions, keeping them separate. She put the dishes on the table and glanced at a clock she had in the apartment. He was going to be there soon.

They still had separate apartments but he spent so much time at hers that she had gifted him his own key.

She heard that key in the lock now and leaned against the kitchen door frame. She had worked it out and had made sure she would be visible when he opened the door. She placed a foot against the wall behind her, the slit in her skirt parted around her leg and she tipped her head back, watching the door open.

When Cobra finally walked in she bit her lip, trying to stop from smiling at him. She watched him pause, his eyes roaming from top to bottom and back up. She had on a velvety green bra and her belly was bare, her sheer skirt had long slits, parting around her bare legs and her long blond hair was done up in a braid that hung over her shoulder.

His expression was a mixture of enticement, confusion and want. Her confidence was faltering when he didn't say anything, it almost seemed more like he couldn't say anything though. His shoulders set and he took long strides toward her, caging her in against the wall. His hand skimmed up her side, feeling the smooth skin.

"Bella" He breathed, when she tipped her head back and moaned he shuddered. He struggled for just a moment to not just ravish her "Bella, what exactly is going on here?" He caught her sly little grin and she looped her arm around his neck, pulling him in to a searing kiss. "I'm a snake charmer."

Cobra couldn't help but laugh and pulled her scantily clad body closer "You always know how to charm my snake. In fact, i think he's ready to come out of hiding." He bucked his hips against her thigh, making sure she felt the thick bulge in his pants.

She grinned "Well he may need to wait just a little longer. I don't want dinner to get cold." Cobra growled then glanced over to the set table. She saw the strain in his shoulders as he slowly pulled away. "Dinner.." The word was mumbled, "We eat dinner. Then i get my dessert." His eyes slid back to her

and darkened.

Dinner was surprisingly pleasant, despite the sexual tension permeating the air. After about half an hour, Cobra and Lucy were done eating. Cobra pulled Lucy up then carefully edged her on to the table. The skirt she was wearing pooled between her legs and Cobra growled at the heady scent of her arousal.

Cobra kissed the side of her neck and ran his hands up and down her thighs. "Most snake charmers have a flute." Lucy shrugged, her attention firmly on removing his shirt. "Don't worry i have one you can borrow." He caught her hand in his own, placing it against the firm length hidden behind his pants.

Lucy gently nudged him back, slipping off the edge of the table. She slowly slid down to her knees, glancing up at him through her bangs as she worked at pulling his pants down. "I better get to charming then."

Cobra groaned as her warm hand closed around his erection. She gently pumped it, teasing him with slight touches and little kisses along his hip bones. A small kiss was placed on the leaking tip, then before his eyes his penis disappeared between her lips.

Lucy moaned gently around him and heard his groan in response. She reveled in the taste and feel of him and brought him as deep in to her mouth as her gag reflex would allow. She felt his fingers dig in to her hair and let him guide her pace.

Her hands resting on his thighs clenched, her nails lighting little sparks of pain that made his hips jerk in reflex. She closed her eyes and ran her tongue along the length in her mouth as her lips moved. She could feel the subtle rocking of his hips and one hand slid between his legs to fondle his balls.

She felt his growl roll through her when she brought him all the way down her throat, and the gentle tug on her hair coaxed her mouth off of his cock. She looked up and noted the desire in his eyes. He dropped down to her level and caught her mouth in a rough kiss.

His hands took no time to explore her body, cupping the satiny bra and then running down her skin to snake under her skirt. She felt him shudder when his fingers made contact with her wet heat. He was emboldened by the fact that there was nothing under her skirt. "I think it's time for a relocation. Then i can enjoy this more." He emphasized he end of his sentence by thrusting his fingers roughly in to her entrance.

The were reluctant to part long enough to stand from the floor then halfway to the bed she was grabbed around the waist and pulled back in to his arms. His mouth made it's way to her neck, his hands moving in opposite directions to grope her breast and find the wet heat beneath her skirt.

Lucy's breath hitched and her eyes fell closed as she arched in to his touch. Cobra shifted his hips, rubbing against her ass and was extremely tempted to just take her against the wall beside them. When he felt the sentiment reflected in her soul he released her and caged her against the wall.

"Eric!" The use of his name made him growl and his eyes flash. "That's right baby, I'm going to have you screaming." He dropped to his knees and coaxed one of her legs over his shoulder. Her hips canted forward, encouraging him toward his goal.

He shifted the skirt, making his way in to one of the slits that went all the way up. "God this outfit makes you even more gorgeous." He caught a brief glimpse of the way she bit her lip to hide the pleasure at his comment. Then his lips gently caressed the skin on her exposed thigh. Working his way up to the place nestled between her legs.

Her scent flooded his senses and he took just as much pleasure as she did in the act. He teased her as much as he could with ghost kisses and licks, then finally made contact with her clitoris. He heard her quietly keening, her soul begging him to do more.

He gave in to her wants because they so closely mirrored his own. His tongue wormed it's way between her lips and the taste of her made him moan loudly. The feeling of his moan made her shiver and arch forward, trying to get his tongue farther in to her.

Lucy's hands found their way in to his hair, similar to his own earlier. She silently guided him to the points that brought her the most pleasure, she had no doubt he would be the best and only lover she would ever have as he could hear in her soul, exactly what she wanted. His tongue felt so good against her sensitive skin and he was very vocal about how much he was enjoying the act. The fact that he was vocal about his pleasure, edged her ever closer to the cliff of release.

"Eric.." "Mhmm?" Her hand squeezed in his hair and her voice broke a little. She felt his hand slide across her skin and his fingers made their way inside of her, twisting and pumping as his mouth and tongue focused on her clit.

At this point she was climbing steadily, and couldn't help moving her hips to get closer to him, to feel his fingers move more inside her and direct his tongue to the areas that could carry her over the edge. Cobra loved when she was unrestrained with him.

Lucy couldn't stop the high pitch moan from tumbling from her lips as her core tightened around his fingers. She felt him chuckle against her as she dove in to bliss. After her muscles tightened her body slumped. She felt him shift her leg off his shoulder and then stand to kiss her.

She didn't mind her own taste that was mingled with his. But they were far from done. She wanted all of him, something she had not had enough of in the last few weeks. His smile was dark as he trailed his finger tips across her skin, alighting goose bumps in their wake.

"I truly hope you had no plans for tomorrow. Because when i am done with you tonight you will not be able to walk." The promise in his voice made her shudder. "I'm all yours" She promised him and the smile grew. "Well in that case you can be sure i will take my fill of you tomorrow as well."

With a smile on her lips, she placed her hands on his shoulders for balance and slung her leg up over his hip. "What are you waiting for?" Cobra growled, flicked the skirt blocking her entrance out of the way, and shifted his hips so that he could slide in to her. Lucy threw her head back, ignoring the thunk as it hit he wall and cried out at the feeling of being filled.

He teased her with short slow strokes in and out, barely doing more than brushing against her walls so she took it in to her own hands. She shifted her hips back then tightened her leg on his hip to firmly pull him forward. Ho growled and all trace of teasing was gone as he clasped her wrists in his hands, holding them above her head and firmly began to thrust in and out.

Lucy's breath caught and she could do no more than moan and thrust her own hips forward to encourage him deeper inside. Their movements were frantic and forceful although the position left them limited. Cobra grew tired of the limited range of motion and slowed his thrusts to carefully grab her ass and lift.

Lucy instinctively wrapped her legs around his hips and whined as he began to walk them across the room. He made it as far as the couch and sat down, bringing her more firmly in to his lap. He shifted and leaned back so he could view all of her perched on his lap in the enticing outfit. As much as he liked her being his snake charmer he needed to be able to see as much of her as possible.

As if she had been the one to read his soul she reached back and unhooked the bra. She let it slide down her arms and tossed it aside to be dealt with later. Cobra hummed in agreement as her full breasts bounced with her movements in his lap.

Cobra reached up to fondle the freed peaks but she batted his hands away. He lifted an eyebrow and she winked. Lucy gently pushed on his chest to signify he should relax. Cobra did as was demanded and folded his arms behind his head, enjoying the view of his beautiful girlfriend bouncing on his dick. Lucy shifted her legs to make sure she was stable and used the muscles in her legs and core to lift herself up, almost off his dick, then let herself drop back down.

She loved the sounds he released as she repeated the motion one more time slowly. Then she picked up the pace, not lifting all the way off before slamming back down. Once she was at a comfortable rhythm she took her hands off his chest, instead running them across her own flat abdomen and up to cup her over flowing chest.

Cobra bit his lip at the sensations and the show. He let her have her fun for a few minutes and when he could tell she needed just a bit more to climb that peak one more time, he took hold of her hips. She didn't dare stop him this time as he helped her speed up her motions. One hand dipped down, shifting the sheer fabric aside and his thumb made contact with the small sensitive bud.

It took only a few minutes more to have her crying out her release. The feel of her tightening around him and her liquids flowing down his length almost made him want to finish, but he was far from done and she had first hand experience with his stamina.

He lifted her off his cock and as she stood he took the time to finally remove the skirt, leaving them in an equal state of undress. The two made their way to the bed finally, groping each other along the way.

They tumbled in to the bed, giggling and gasping as teasing touches turned to strokes then to tickles.

Lucy fought against the fingers that were terrorizing her sides. "Erik! Stop!" She broke down in to gales of laughter and he grinned, pulling her close to lay curled up against his side, the two ignored the length pressed against her for a moment, smiling at each other and sharing long, languid kisses.

Cobra shifted so he was laying between her legs. He carefully shifted some hair off her face and kissed her. Lucy wrapped her arms around him and lightly bit his bottom lip as he slid inside of her. Her soul sang and her heart filled with the emotion she felt for this man. The one she had snarked with, laughed with, argued with and wanted to spend all her time with. "I love you too Belladonna."

She smiled gently then used her legs on his hips to flip them in a maneuver he had taught her while sparring. While on top she pinned his wrists and circled her hips, working her lips on his neck and leaving small love bites on the column of his neck and across his chest.

Cobra quickly tired of being restrained and flipped their position again He placed a hand next to her head and grabbed her left leg by the back of her thigh. He lifted it, pressing it against her chest and then pulled out almost all the way before slamming back in to her. Lucy let out a cry as Cobra kept up the punishing pace.

He was able to reach deeper in this position. His hand gripped her leg tightly and she had the passing thought that she would have bruises. The tight grip and the slight bit of pain elevated her pleasure in ways she didn't like to admit. It was times like these that she was thankful for her lovers ability to hear what she wanted.

She loved that he never made her ask for it, that she was the one person he refused to humiliate. She knew he wasn't the nicest to others but he was a good person and he treated her with more respect than she thought possible. That was enough for her she didn't need perfect, she just needed him.

She could tell he knew her mind was wandering as he growled her name and thrust particularly hard. He wanted all of her attention on the pleasure pouring through her and she was more than willing to oblige.

Sharp nips to her skin and hard thrusts that kissed her cervix quickly carried her to the top of the cliff and she was determined to drag him off the edge with her. Cobra could clearly read her intention and had absolutely no reason to argue. He leaned forward, holding her leg tighter to her chest.

"I want to hear you Lucy. I want you to scream." Lucy arched her back, her chest brushing against his own. "Then you better be just as loud my snake." The demand made him hiss and the commanding tone send sparks shooting down his spine. As her spring tightened closer to her end, he was not far behind the pressure building between them both.

Lucy was the first to break, screaming his name so loud they were sure to get knowing looks in the apartment halls. Cobra followed calling her name roughly. His hips pressed close as he filled her. The streams of warm cum she could feel filling her insides made her moan and bite her lip.

The two lay together still connected, Cobra still hard inside her. Lucy knew they were far from done that night but she would take the few minutes to relax that she knew he was gifting her. She expected to be sore and fully sated tomorrow. She gave him a sly smile and felt him twitch inside her, ready for more.

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This was lots of fun to write but hopefully even more fun to read for you guys! Let me know what you think, and stay tuned for the next chapter which is Invitation!


	6. Invitation

Okay guys here is chapter 6! One two more chapters until this week is done but it has been so much fun! I really do love this couple and i also want to thank you guys for reading and reviewing!

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

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 **Chapter 6: Invitation**

Cobra was done with life. After a year he and Lucy decided to get a place together and he was happy to be moving in with the woman he loved. But it had taken them so long to find a place and move in and now Lucy wanted to throw a house warming party.

Cobra had already made his displeasure clear that he did not want the entirety of their guild in their brand new house as it was sure to be ruined within an hour. Lucy however had made it clear that this was a custom she wanted to follow.

She had been all up in a tizzy about the party. She planned to have it in a week and a half and she was working on making sure she had enough food and that the house was clean and unpacked. All Cobra wanted to do was relax in their new bed. It didn't help that she was hiding something from him.

He tried to ask what but every time he broached the topic she would dive head first in to this party. Cobra was worried she was having doubts about the move. Maybe having doubts about him. He didn't understand her need for this party.

After yet another argument about having the house warming he dropped the topic. He pulled her close as he could feel her frustration. He sighed and kissed her on the top of the head. "Sit, I'll go make some dinner." She hugged him close."Are you sure? I can do it." He shook his head no and smacked her gently on the ass, nudging her toward the couch in their living room.

She had been tired lately and Cobra was concerned that she was running herself in to the ground with this party. He really should just drop it, let her have her party and stop arguing but really, when had he been anything but difficult?

Cobra sighed as he made dinner and resigned himself to listening to her stress about the party, and stress about this issue she refused to tell him. Lucy never kept secrets but for some reason she was keeping something from him.

The two ate their dinner in silence and even though they were arguing they made sure to tell each other they loved each other before crawling in to bed.

It was at least three days later and the argument seemed to be reaching a boiling point. Cobra was getting grouchy and he could hear her soul and the stress she was placing on herself, as well she had been working so hard and worrying so much she was making herself sick. More often then not Cobra found himself rubbing her back as she was crouched over the toilet.

This couldn't keep happening and one of them was going to have to break. He was watching her place invitations in to envelopes and write names on them. If they had to have this stupid party then why was she bothering to make even more work for herself.

"Lucy why don't you just make an announcement or something?" He watched her shoulders stiffen. She had been so concentrated on the invitations and that was all he could hear from her. "Because this is more formal and i want to."

Cobra crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. "Is this some bullshit about what is proper?" He couldn't read her so he was making an educated guess. He knew how she was raised and wondered if maybe this had something to do with it. "What are you talking about?" Her voice was dangerously low.

He knew that the stress and the sickness had been making her lose sleep and not only was she physically tired but mentally tired. Never before had she hid from him when feeling depressed. She didn't always ask for help but she would let him be there for her. This time she was building walls.

He didn't know if she was depressed but he felt the intense need to break down those walls. "You know what I'm talking about." Lucy groaned in frustration. "No Cobra this has nothing to do with how i was raised it is just something i want to do." He could hear the frustration and he couldn't help but push.

The fact that she had called him Cobra in their home with no one around instead of using his name really concerned him. He could see her shaking, could hear that she was upset and feeling sick. He leaned on the table. "Lucy if you want to do this party then we will do the stupid party but why make it harder on yourself?"

Lucy stood up and knocked the invitations off the table. "Why do you always have to be such an ass? Clearly i really want to do this! Clearly this is something i care about and instead of just helping me or staying out of the way you call it stupid and try to tell me not to bother?"

Cobra reeled, they had argued but he was so sure that if she just listened to him she would understand he was right. But he hadn't thought of it that way. Usually he knew when to push and when to pull back and just give in. But she had been so focused on this that he had just bull dozed ahead.

He looked up to see her gathering all of the invitations from the floor, tears leaking down her cheeks. "Fine I'll just toss the invitations, stand up in front of the guild and say 'hey everyone party at our house' then they can ransack the place and you can say i told you so."

Cobra was speechless, he watched her head to the garbage and his muscles unfroze. He made his way over quickly, grabbing her arm and pulling her away from the garbage and in to his arms. She resisted for a moment before collapsing in his hold and crying.

"I'm sorry. It's not stupid if it's important to you. I'm so sorry." He murmured in to her ear, soothingly stroking her back. The two spent the rest of the night on the couch just trying to relax with Cobra rubbing Lucy's back. After a while Lucy fell asleep and Cobra carefully shifted to get off the couch. He sat at the table and studied the list in his girlfriends handwriting. With a sigh he finished stuffing and addressing the stupid invitations.

Over the next week as Lucy prepared for the party Cobra tried his best to be helpful, tried to help her relax when she was stressed and tried not to worry about the secret he knew she was keeping. He hated seeing her have a breakdown, more so when it was his fault.

Finally the day of the party arrived and Cobra was just glad that he and Lucy would be able to get back to normal. As their friends and family entered the house he watched his girlfriend play hostess. Her soul was fluttering in excitement and nervousness. Everyone seemed happy and was congratulating them on their gorgeous home.

Cobra excused himself from his conversation with Macbeth to go get a drink and as he walked in to the kitchen he passed Lucy and leaned in to kiss the side of her head. Lucy beamed up at him before continuing the conversation with Levy.

"So what are you guys going to do with the extra room?" Lucy shrugged and peeked at Cobra, they hadn't really decided but had discussed using it as a spare bedroom. "While I've been thinking about that lately." Cobra paused at the fluttering in her soul.

For some reason this conversation was making her anxious. "You have?" He leaned back against the counter and took a sip of his drink. Lucy nodded slowly and smiled shyly at her boyfriend.

Cobra paused and so many things started to click together in his mind. The secrets, the stress, the fact that she was diving in to this party, just to keep her soul and thoughts busy.

Lucy must have seen the connections clicking in his mind and grinned, carefully placing a hand against her abdomen. "Erik come here."He didn't even blink at the use of his name in front of her friend and he walked over, letting her take his hand and pull him in to the living room with the rest of their family.

His brain felt like it was frozen and there was something so clear staring him in the face that he just couldn't put together. He watched silently as Lucy called for everyone attention. She placed a hand on her stomach and cleared her throat. "I wanted to invite you all here, not only to share our home with you but because I have some news." She peered at him nervously, "We have news."

She grinned down at the little blue haired slayer who was bouncing up and down in excitement. She turned to Cobra and cleared her throat. "I know we talked about wanting a family together. I also know that the talk was for our future, but sometimes plans change."

Cobra started to shake his head, trying to force himself to understand. He saw her recoil a bit and didn't even care that everyone was watching. "Lucy tell me." Lucy nodded and carefully placed the hand she was holding on her stomach. "We're going to have a baby."

A silence fell through the house and Cobra's eyes widened. "You.. We... A baby?" His voice broke on the last word and he watched her bite her lip and nod. He felt the anxiety and the regret for not telling him when they were alone.

A smile spread across his face and he laughed quietly. "A baby." He dropped to his knees and placed his ear on her stomach. He heard the smallest slayer giggle and realized she must have known, must have been the one to give the blonde the news. "How long?" He heard the guilt she felt and the relief at finally releasing the news.

"About two months. I found out not long ago. I started to get sick and we were so busy moving that i just put off visiting Wendy until everything had settled. I thought this would be a nice way to spread the news." Cobra finally had the last piece of the puzzle. She was always tired, she was sick, keeping secrets and throwing herself in to this party to stop herself from panicking and tipping him off.

Cobra stood and paused for just a moment before pulling her in to a tight hug. "God i love you Bella!" A cheer went through the watching crowd and the party was renewed with laughing, congratulations and so much chatter that he would normally hate it.

All he could think about was Lucy and their baby. He was so excited and he could feel the relief that he was happy. He pulled her in to a deep kiss and everyone in the house cheered.

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Okay so that was Chapter 6, a little more tame than the last chapter lol. Tomorrow is Frost. Please review and let me know what you think!


	7. Frost

Hey guys so i lost my copy of this chapter and i had to rewrite it so it might be a bit shorter than originally planned but i managed to get it on time! Here is Frost, enjoy!

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

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 **Chapter 7: Frost**

Cobra shot awake at the sounds that only he could hear, an intermingling of tinkling bells and small chimes. The bells ringing in sharp staccato that imitated panic and nervousness and the chimes were playful and excited. Cobra was confused until he heard his girlfriends voice tentatively calling his name.

"Bella? What's wrong?" He sat up and ran a hand through his hair, looking over at the blonde who was beet red with wide eyes. "Either i just peed a little, which is a possibility, or i am going in to labor. "Labor? As in having the baby? Right now... Are you sure?" Lucy squeaked and nodded her head. "Yeah i think so." The chime of excitement and agreement confirmed that.

"Oh yeah.. She's ready to come out now." The two shared a look, they had planned for this. They had packed a bag and worked out to have a communication lacrima and to have Wendy and Porlusciya to also have them on hand. They were suppose to get to the guild, which really wasn't far from their house.

Lucy slowly picked the lacrima off the night table and called Wendy. The small blue haired girl swam in to focus and yawned. "Lucy-nee? Is everything okay?" Lucy glanced at the man in the bed next to her. "Um i think so?" Cobra rolled his eye and grabbed the lacrima orb. "It's time Pint Size. The baby is coming." That seemed to wake the younger woman up and she blinked.

"Oh! OH! Okay!" The heard her stumble from her bed, her small white cat grumbling about being woken up. They then heard her bump in to something solid and make her way to the door. "Okay! I'll see you there!" The connection dropped and the two pulled themselves out of the warm bed. Lucy Rubbed her stomach at the twinge she felt.

Cobra heard her discomfort and that seemed to wake something up in him. "Bella. Lucy, the baby is coming. She's finally coming!" The two shared a smile and finally started to gather their things and leave their home.

Lucy had a fairly easy pregnancy, the sickness had ended after her first trimester and after the baby had formed more, her soul had developed. Once that happened Cobra spent as much time as he could learning his daughters soul, learning when she was happy and when she was uncomfortable. She loved to hear her parents talk and especially when they were bickering good naturedly.

What he couldn't keep up with was the mood swings, even with his advantage over most men in his situation, Lucy would go from happy to tears in a heart beat. What really worried him was the depression. She would feel it more often then normal and there were days at a time where she wouldn't leave bed and if it weren't for the life growing in her he knows she wouldn't have bothered to feed herself. He had sat down with the pink haired grouch one day and they had a conversation about how this might affect the baby and how to help her deal with it.

The woman was frank with him and explained that there was the risk of postpartum depression and that he should keep close after the baby was born but also give her some space to bond. He learned that the baby may help her cope since she would be responsible for a life other than her own and that might push her to keep going. But it wasn't a guarantee.

There was a risk their daughter could have depression as well. Cobra took the news in stride and promised himself he would do his best. He didn't fully understand it but he would try for both the girls he loved. Porlusciya offered to speak to Lucy about medication and Cobra promised that after the baby was born they would discuss it more.

Suffice to say Cobra was very glad that the baby was coming. The two made their way to the guild and there was already a group waiting. Wendy had woken Erza who had rounded up all of their closest friends. The group cheered when they walked in and Lucy laughed, blushing slightly at the attention. "Hear that little one? Every one is so excited to meet you!"

Lucy was shuffled upstairs and in to the infirmary where Wendy and the grouchy witch woman were waiting. Cobra paused before going upstairs at the sight of Natsu headed their way, as if he were meant to be in the delivery room. He motioned Gray forward, "You keep him out of this room at all costs." Gray nodded and clapped Cobra on the shoulder. "Leave it to me!"

Cobra nodded and made his way after his girlfriend. He heard Gray shouting taunts at the pink haired male and smirked. His girlfriend did not need the stress of her best friend while she was giving birth. The door closed behind him and he settled himself in. Neither knew what to expect but hoped that it would be quick and they would have a bouncing baby girl to love.

It was about four hours in when the first fist fight broke out. Not surprisingly, Natsu had began to get antsy when he heard his best friend screaming in pain. He knew she was okay and that Wendy was trying her best to ease the pain with her healing. But there was only so much she could do when trying to squeeze something so big out of somewhere so small.

Natsu had headed for the stairs as soon as he heard the screaming. He was quickly knocked back by Gray. "Get out of the way." The words were no more than growled at the ice make mage. Gray shook he head "She has Cobra with her, he'll handle it." Natsu growled low in his throat and made for the stairs again before being punched in the face.

Gray managed to keep him held down and the screaming petered out for a while.

It was another hour before Gray gave up trying to talk some sense in to his team mate and just encased him in ice. It was not easy to hold the case of ice around the slayer.

He knew if the slayer really wanted to he would break out but as Natsu continued to melt the ice Gray had to continuously remake it. He held the pink haired male in ice for an additional hour and a half before the room above went quite. Then there were the sounds of a tiny infant wailing at the outside world.

It was another fifteen minutes from there before the door was open and it was declared Lucy was allowed visitors. A few of them entered the room, including Gray, who left a solid chunk of ice in the middle of the guild to thaw around his friend.

They all cooed over the sleeping infant and congratulated the beaming parents. Natsu rushed in to the room, shaking ice out of his hair. He made his way to the blondes side. Lucy frowned up at her friend and ran her hand through his hair, loosening chunks of ice.

"Natsu..." He grinned at her, reaching out to snag the baby from her arms but was smacked away by the father. Lucy shook her head, the concern for her friend turning to disbelief. "I've been up here in pain for hours, giving birth to your niece, and you were downstairs fighting?" Gray and Cobra shared a smirk while Natsu stuttered and whined at the chastisement.

Natsu was solidly ignored as a voice piped up from the group. The Master made his way to the front to take in the new parents. "So what is her name?" Cobra smiled proudly at the baby and her mother. "Emmaline Layla Heartfillia!" Lucy smiled up at her lover then slowly transferred the baby in to his arms.

The adrenaline was wearing off and though she was overjoyed she was also afraid she would fall asleep and drop her newborn. She fell asleep watching Cobra bear the mantel of proud papa, cooing over his daughter and flitting around like a worried mother bird while she was handed around the group.

Lucy had the last thought that she couldn't wait to wake up to her family every day before drifting to sleep.

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Okay! One more to go! Please let me know what you guys think of this chapter, hopefully you liked it, i know these chapters have been fairly short and mostly fluff but maybe i'll work on a more filled out story with this pairing after finishing Not What Was Expected.

Next chapter is Curse so stay tuned!


	8. Curse

Okay so here is the bonus chapter! It's a fair bit shorter than all the others so i apologize but it is just a little peek in to our favorite characters lives as parents!

Let me know if you guys want me to maybe flush out this story a little more or if you want to give me a prompt to write a story for this couple.

I am going to finish writing Not What Was Expected before i start a new project but i love this couple and i might try my hand at a more detailed story or maybe even a detailed one shot. Let me know if you want something like that!

So without further ado this is the last chapter in CoLu week, i hope you enjoyed my submission!

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

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 **Chapter 8: Curse**

Small hands reached up to grab a glass jar off the shelf. Mommy had helped her decorate it with glitter. There were stars and a moon and pretty purple flowers covering the glass. The jar was getting heavy and soon she would have to get Daddy to get it off the shelf for her.

She grinned in triumph, purple eyes flashing and chubby cheeks splitting in a wide grin. She spun and dashed in to the kitchen where she could hear her mom and dad talking and making dinner. She giggled and called for her parents attention. "Daddy!" Cobra looked down at his tiny daughter "What is it Buttercup?"

Emmaline pulled the jar out from behind her back. "You said a bad word!" His single eye widened and she heard mommy laugh behind him. Emmaline smiled and tried not to giggle at her daddy. She watched him pull a Jewel note from his pocket and stuff it in to the mostly full jar.

Mommy crouched down and pulled her in to a hug, mommy always gave the best hugs. "You know to never repeat the words daddy says, right?" She nodded quickly. "Of course mommy!" Lucy grinned up at the frowning slayer who grumbled and shook his head. Emmaline didn't hear what her father had said but clearly her mother had as she threatened to make him put in another jewel note.

Cobra rolled his eye, gently took the jar from his daughter and placed it back on its rightful shelf. "Why don't yo go play with Aries while Mommy and I finish dinner?" Emmaline lit up and turned to her mother excitedly. "Oh can i? Please?"Her mother nodded and brushed against one of the keys on her hip.

The pink haired ram appeared and apologized profusely before allowing the young girl to drag her from the room. "At this rate your going to have enough money to send our daughter to college!" Cobra smirked and kissed his wife. "You're just better at hiding it."

The swear jar had started as a way to dissuade the gruff slayer from teaching their daughter bad words. Especially after the small blonde had begun to repeat them. Then she had started using them in sentences when she was frustrated. Cobra thought it was hilarious, Lucy on the other hand thought that growing up at the guild taught their daughter enough bad habits, they should at least try to keep things tame at home.

Over the years they had made a game of it, trying to think of interesting ways to avoid swearing in front of their daughter. Lucy wondered if Emmaline was going to take after her father with how well she could hear them swear from another room.

The swear jar really is not dissuading her gruff husband, it more so seemed to encourage him.

He seemed to want to test their daughter and see if she could catch him when he swore. Lucy shook her head and finished helping her Husband make dinner for their little family.

Emmaline loved her parents, and she knew that they loved her. She couldn't imagine anything being better than going to the guild and hearing her daddy make fun of her aunts and uncles. Especially uncle Natsu. Emmaline wondered why they didn't have a swear jar in the guild. Her cousin Asuka assured her that it had always been like this.

She also told her that they use to be more careful about swearing around the children until her daddy and uncle Macbeth joined the guild. Emmaline took pride in knowing the adult words. Not that she would ever let her parents hear her say them.

For as gruff as her daddy seemed her mommy was always the sweetest and well mannered. She strives to grow up to be just like her mommy and have everyone love her too. Her mommy had never put anything in the jar before.

Sometimes she heard her mommy swear late at night after she was suppose to be asleep. Then both her parents would swear, but they didn't seem to be angry with her or with each other and she didn't want to get in trouble for being awake when she was suppose to be asleep.

One day Mommy and Daddy had sat down with her and asked her if she would want a baby brother or sister. Mommy looked nervous and kept twisting her special ring around her finger. Daddy kissed the side of her head and rubbed her tummy and she started to think that she didn't really have a say.

As months passed and Mommy got bigger, she also seemed to get angry more often. Not at her but she would scream at daddy a lot. Daddy explained that they weren't fighting but that the baby made mommy have mood swings. Every time she would cry or yell daddy would pull her in to a hug and try to calm her down.

They had to empty the swear jar lots of times since mommy and daddy told her about the baby. They told her they were putting the money away for her and the baby. One day Emmaline was sitting in the kitchen while her parents were cooking and mommy was cutting up some veggies. Emmaline didn't know what happened but daddy inhaled sharply and grabbed mommy's hand.

The knife fell to the floor and Emmaline could see a little bit of blood on the blade. Her eyes widened and she watched daddy pull mommy's hand under the tap. He kissed the side of her head and asked if she was alright.

Mommy nodded, her eyes tearing up a bit. "I'm fine but this mother fucking knife is a piece of shit. God dammit that fucking hurt like a bitch." Daddy was grinning and he glanced back to see Emmaline sitting there with her mouth open and her eyes wide. He kissed the side of her head "Hush i know Bella, but you'll be fine."

Emmaline almost didn't know what to do with herself she stood up slowly and daddy watched her walk from the room. "Buttercup, where are you going?" She grabbed the swear jar and slowly brought it back in to the kitchen. "Mommy said a bad word."

The two adults looked at each other, Lucy in shock and Cobra grinning madly. "Mommy that was so many swear words!" Mommy blushed and Daddy pulled her up against his chest. "Mommy learned from the best." Mommy rolled her eyes and put a handful of jewel notes in the jar.

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Short but sweet i hope! A cute way to end the week and promise of another CoLu baby! Please review and let me know if you liked it, not just this chapter but your thoughts on the story and if i should try my hand at this pairing again in the future!


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